NBA star Dennis Rodman surprises fans with a wild story about a bet on death that went on for 12 years
NBA legend Dennis Rodman recently surprised fans with a surprising story he shared at Fanatics Fest about how people used to bet on when he would die.
Rodman is one of basketball’s most colorful characters, winning five NBA titles while playing for teams like the Detroit Pistons, Chicago Bulls, and Los Angeles Lakers. Known for his wild hairstyles and many piercings, he always marched to the beat of his own drum.
Nicknamed “The Worm,” Rodman was famous for his party-loving ways, often seen out at clubs rubbing shoulders with celebrities. But during a chat on the ‘Above The Rim’ podcast with Dwight Howard at Fanatics Fest in New York, Rodman revealed that between 1998 and 2010, every sportsbook in Las Vegas was taking bets on when he might die.
He said, “Vegas, any of you been there? Every casino from 1998 to 2010 had my name on it. People were literally betting on ‘When is Dennis going to die?’ You can look it up!” Howard asked if it was because of his partying habits, and Rodman explained that while he did enjoy a good time, he never took hard drugs.
He shared, “I was out there partying but never did cocaine or heroin or any of that stuff. Just drinks and cigars. I never touched drugs except for alcohol.”
Rodman loved to blow off steam before big games, once telling a wild story from the night before an NBA Finals game against the Seattle Supersonics. What started as a calm sushi dinner with friends turned into a wild night at a crazy club full of bizarre scenes—like people in cages and women doing stunts with burning wax.
In his book *Walk On The Wild Side*, he recalled, “We went to my favorite sushi spot in Chicago, started doing Sake Bombers like I was dying of thirst. Then we ended up at Crobar, where there’s a bondage rack, people writhing in pain as women pour burning wax on their nipples, and folks in cages dancing wildly to loud techno music by a DJ named Psychobitch.”
The next morning, Rodman had breakfast and felt ready for Game 6. “I knew I was ready,” he said. “Sure enough, we went out, played great, and won.”
Remarkably, he didn’t have a hangover and ended the game with nine points, 19 rebounds, five assists, and three steals.